British PM Quits as JNF Patron

British Prime Minister David Cameron has resigned as a Jewish National Fund patron. Pro-PA campaigners said he buckled to their pressure.

By Chana Ya'ar

First Publish: 5/30/2011, 6:05 PM / Last Update: 5/30/2011, 7:02 PM

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British Prime Minister David Cameron has resigned as a patron of the Jewish National Fund (JNF), set up prior to the establishment of the state to purchase land in Palestine for Jewish settlement.

Traditionally the leaders of Britain's three main political parties are patrons of the JNF.

Pro-Palestinian Authority campaigners are crowing that Cameron, who allegedly released a statement claiming he also stepped down from other charities as well, had buckled to pressure from their groups.

Cameron's resignation has meant that none of the top three UK political leaders are serving as patrons of the JNF at present.

Both the UK-based Stop the JNF Campaign, and the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign – have tried to claim credit for Cameron's resignation.

According to Sofiah Macleod of Stop the JNF Campaign, the group wrote an open letter to the British prime minister earlier in the month urging him to resign. The letter alleged the JNF had committed “war crimes against the Palestinian people.”

Downing Street responded in a statement to the media that following the formation of the country's coalition government “a review was undertaken of all the organizations and charities the prime minister was associated with. As a result of this review, the prime minister stepped down from a number of charities – this included the JNF.”

Both of Cameron's predecessors, former UK prime ministers Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, continued to be patrons of the JNF throughout the duration of their tenure.